Sunday, October 30, 2011

After reading the comments of my dearest readers & friends, I understood that my article was incomplete. So I decided to add one more additional part to it. Enjoy!! It is raining to day, so it is the perfect time to get inspired :-). Wool, fur, flannel and plastic (of raincoats) are our choices today. (To read part one, click HERE)

FUR

Photo credit: Louis Vuitton

Fur is non human hair, usually from mammals (although some men are so hairy that I do think they have fur, not human hair... too much testosterone I guess...). It is also one of the most primitive discoveries of man kind to protect themselves agains cold. The Neanderthal hominoids already used them as a source of clothing.

The most used animals for furs are mink, seals, chinchillas, rabbits, bears, foxes and beavers. I am totally against it, besides the rabbits' fur, if it is a sub product of the meat commercialization (they are cute, but I am not a vegan). Fur should not be a polemic issue here, as we all assume that I will be talking only about faux furs and faux musks. The touch of fur is soft, cozy, sometimes it tickles, sometimes it arouses sexual fantasies, it fondles, caresses... it is kinda kinky, kinda primitive...fur is fursational! It gives always a purrr...meaow...kitkat kind of mood, so of course we need to think of a perfume that translate this feline, primitive, sensual touch.

My liquid fur is definitely Sienna Musk by Sonoma Scent Studio.

Photo credit: Sonoma

What can I say about this fragrance? That I simply have a fur in my closet that smells exactly like it?! The fur I have is not faux (I don't wear it, because I think it is not proper for modern women - but It was my grams', so it has a sentimental value to me, therefore I keep it). It has a skin, carnal - animal appeal of furs and musks, but not that strong so you will think of a huge faux-chemical perfume. It smell a bit "human", fleshy.

The spiciness of the fragrance is also delicate, which reminds me the implied subliminal idea of the kinkiness of furs. If you are a bit naughtier you will think of sensual fantasies; if not, it is just warming the skin, fondling you.

I am not very drawn to musky fragrances, but Laurie's Sienna Musk made me rethink my taste for perfumes. It is slightly gourmet, but not the sweet touch kind of fragrances we are used to call gourmet. (it is a mix of mandarines and spices, and that is what she translates as gourmet)

It is not creamy nor powdery - it contains a bit of these aspects but the overall idea is really FUR!

FLANNEL

Photo credit : Fantastic Man

Flannel is traced back to the 16th century in Wales and it is a woven soft fabric made of carded wool or worsted yarn. Some relate to lumberjacks or rednecks (right Ane Walsh?), some relate to the grunge garage rock and roll look of Nirvana ...rock n' rollers, and some to very elegant classy men (me). Of course I will be very obvious in my choice here by bringing Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene.

Photo credit: fragrantica.com

An oriental fragrance for men developed by Andre Fromentin in 1975, that is loved by many till today. Grey flannel is just like the fabric, reliable, comfy.

Notes of galbanum, neroli, petit grain, bergamot, lemon, mimosa, orris, violet, sage, rose, geranium, narcissus, tonka, almond, oak moss, vetiver and cedar. Since I have already wrote about this fragrance, in another context thou(click HERE to read), I will not extend myself more than I should, after all the fragrance is in the market for 36 years!

WOOL

Photo credit: Moncler - Popeye mag

Wool is a textile fabric obtained from ship and other animals like goats, mohair, rabbits, camels etc...

It is funny to look for a liquid form of wool, when wool is also a fabric that you smell to reboot your nose (like smelling coffee). But even so, let's face the challenge. Wool has large quantities of lanolin oil that is washed out in a process called scouring. Lanolin is found in many body creams, and I know that smell pretty well. So wool, basically has the scent of the skin of the animal, its fur, the traces of lanolin and detergent. But let's leave the greasy wet dog ideas, and I bring you this proposal to you: NIRMAL EDP by Laboratorio Olfattivo.

Photo credit: Laboratorio Olfattivo

I have already reviewed this fragrance in a full detailed article, so click HERE to read about this winter treat. I think what brings me the idea of wool is the "dirt" implied by carrots and iris roots. Wool has some dirty smell in it. Also the cuddling touch of the Nirval experience.

PLASTIC

Photo credit: ladycenter.com

I know I know... you all expected gabardine, Burberry luxurious trench and rain coats... but + Q Perfume Blog is about the unexpected, not just the obvious! So here I bring the most synthetic experience of wearing a plastic raincoat. Feeling a bit Blade Runner for a change instead of Maxwell Smart, Inspector Clouseau or Belle de Jour. Yeah...the vintage futuristic idea of the future...

So plastic closes this chapter and there is nothing more plastic like some violets and some jasmine notes.

Photo credit: Nasomatto

I can bring you Amethyst EDP by Lalique that has a great plastic violet note going on, OR Nuda EDP by Nasomatto - the most plastic doll hair smell I have ever encounter in my life!!! Both would do the trick here. Or even the Melissa Perfume - that it is plastic, fruity and very very kinky-cheap-fruit-pinup perfume - but this last one does not worth a try.

But if you are not happy with the plastic cheap product, we could choose Black Bulgari EDP by Bulgari, since I have already chosen it to be the most "spy choice" for a scent. Click HERE to read again. There...now you can also think of trench/rain coats, hats and sunglasses.

As per no clothes at all and a trench coat to be a Belle de Jour - I have only one fragrance for you : Chanel Nº5!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Prada Candy is the newest lick-my-skin launch by the Italian brand. Also, the latest Givaudan's lab experience with nivanolide® and Orpur® Benzoin from Laos*.

Nirvanolide is a musky chemical compound that offers a clean, powdery, rather sweet and animalic musk note. Similar to ketones, it contains a persistent muscenone effect, but much more powerful, that makes us think of Prada Candy as a furry caramelized perfume.

This double bonded compound has a very erogenous kick, and it is the quintessence of high performance modern musks.

According to the brand, Prada Candy is an excessive and balanced combination of white musks, benzoin and caramel. The silky powdery texture of the musks is what it brings the elegance to the perfume. The caramel is a joyful feminine nostalgic and addictive unexpected twist. Benzoin from Laos adds a warm, sensual, wet, balsamic notes evoking delicately vanilla scented honey.

What is really interesting about this fragrance is the combination of a natural raw material - the Benzoin, and here found for the first time at a concentration of 12%, and 02 synthetic chemical compound - a extremely synthetic caramel & a special synthetic molecule from Givaudan's palette - the nirvanolide.

OK, chemistry class put aside, what can I say about this oriental gourmandise?After all the ambers, all the infusions... Prada comes with an excessively pink sticky delight. Is this the Italian version of the French preppy pink Chance Eau Tendre - as both seems to be "a middle aged woman in a crisis" kind of fragrance and a desperate strategy to launch a commercial scent? Did gossip girls travel first class to Italy one summer and Daniela Andrier decided to spoil them?

In an interview provided by Prada, perfumer Daniela Andrier explains how the fragrance reflects the brand. “Prada fashion can have very strong colors, incredible shoes, everything exaggerated and, still, by an amazing miracle, not be too much,” she says. “When you smell Prada Candy, it’s not overpowering. It’s a way of making things look just right, but not in a compromised way. Our world is dictated by compromise, but Prada Candy is about exaggeration. It has a revolutionary spirit.” (excerpt from The candy buffet company).

In a nutshell:

Prada Candy EDP gives less cavities than Angel - that is a plus; but still it is a love it or hate it kind of fragrance, just like Angel is.

Maybe I am in a crisis myself, because I think I like it :-)

*Benzoin from Laos is the third out of 50 natural ingredients of Givaudan collection ORPUR®

Benzoin grows wild and is extracted as a gum, or 'tears' from Styrax tonkinensis trees by villagers in the Phongsaly and Houaphanh provinces of Laos. Approximately 40,000 people live in about 150 villages in this region. The villagers are mostly farmers. Benzoin collection provides additional income to their staple crops of rice and vegetables.

Education is highly valued by the people of Northern Laos. Though primary education facilities in this area are generally adequate, the number of secondary schools is insufficient. Many parents are forced to move their families or to send their children away. The rural exodus threatens the fabric of social cohesion here and the future of a workforce for benzoin collection.

Addressing this, Givaudan entered into a unique partnership with Agroforex, a Laos-based company which arranges the gum collection from local communities, and Biolandes, which imports and processes the gum into a resinoid that is used by Givaudan.

The Laos project aims to help develop the communities at the centre of benzoin gum extraction and thus ensure a sustainable supply of the raw material. As part of the programme, Givaudan financed the building of a secondary school and the training of teachers for the school over three years. (from Givaudan's website)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Chandler Burr, the former perfume critic for the New York Times, spends his time today curating the Center of Olfactory Art at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.While he is not writing books, giving lectures or curating, he is promoting olfactive dinners and sharing his fragrant opinions worldwide (small contributions of pleasures to his fans).Invited by Atualidade Cosmética, a Brazilian magazine about ideas, trends, launches and business of the beauty industry, Chandler reviewed 07 Brazilian perfumes (issue #120).I will not publish the article here, but I will share with you some of his comments that as usual, brings a little humor to the fragrant world of perfume reviews:

HUMOR Deo Colônia by Natura - the name is self-explanatory: Inspired by or to inspire HUMOR.Natura brings a deo (stands for deodorant) Colônia (translated to English as cologne) that IMO, did exactly what they promised to deliver - a huge laugh to all of us who are used to wear decent perfume, and one more commercial masstige fragrance for the less privileged ones by the price of R$79,90 (app. USD47). Chandler Burr's:"The body of this scent looks Ferrari, but Natura didn’t pay for a Ferrari engine as well".

My comment on the comment:

"Natura Humor brings a fun vision of everyday relationships. The organic forms, hot colors and cartoon box translate the concept with a bold, sophisticated and simple design at the same time. The cartoon box was worked to surprise the consumer: the way it invites to be opened, what is left becomes a cartoon stripe, signed by the most popular cartoonists from Brazil. As every Natura product, Natura Humor also comes with the Braille system". Source: Worldstar 2006 winnerDesigne Prize winner: ABRE Design e Embalagem, Brazil

With this info in my hands I can assume that all the budget went to the package & bottle design projects (since there are no Hollywood stars endorsing this fragrance) as the most common marketing strategy used by the mentioned company.

So, Chandler said in a very HUMOROUS way what I am saying now with all the words - The outside might look good, but the juice is cheap. The shell (bottle, concept) might be compared to a Ferrari (I would not go as far as Chandler did - a BMW would do the trick, but the juice is...just another Natura fruity deodorant cr#$!

Another Natura fragrance reviewed by Chandler is Perfume do Brasil PriPrioca.

The perfume belongs to Natura Ekos line of products with 16 different local raw materials.

As explained in their website "Natura Ekos draws on the wealth of Brazil’s biodiversity and on the traditional knowledge of the millions of Brazilian people who live from the land and understand it better than anyone else. They use the plants as food, remedies, cosmetics and perfumes. Natura researched the most interesting Brazilian plants and their traditional uses and brought to the Ekos range the exuberant colors, textures, smells and active ingredients from nature, with clinically proven results".

"Originally, Priprioca was planted by the Indians of Amazonia on their land and was grated or scraped with dried pirarucu fish for use as medication and an ingredient in baths. Its medicinal use has dwindled, but Prioprioca continues to be renowned for its striking and unusual scent".

Also from the website: "The Priprioca is cultivated today using an agricultural technique of indigenous origin. It is grown on the island of Cotijuba in Boa Vista and is washed by hand in local streams. The essential oil extracted from its roots is quite rare and of much value to perfumers. It has an earthy richness of the forest and mixes well with the opulent floral of muguet and the velvet touch of peach".

Now, Chandler's pearls:

"Again, the problem is that Natura seems to have calculated that the riqueza (*Portuguese word for richness, opulence) of its consumers was less than the riqueza of the matas (*Portuguese word for Forests), and so “Priprioca” is merely nicely done. One smells a certain lack of money for the most refined materials, but this may not matter..."

My comments on his comments:The fragrance is sold in the Brazilian market for R$192.50 (app. USD113.23) - not that cheap IMO.Here, once again all the budget went to Olivier Pescheux fees (the perfumer designing the fragrance); to the development of the project of sustainable raw materials and their extractions; to the fees of the Brazilian designer Filomena Padron who created the perfume bottle; to the fees of Brazilian jeweler Renata Camargo; and to the packing itself. So maybe priprioca goes well with muguet and vetiver, but in order to get a real quality accord Natura would have to spend more money buying these raw materials, n'est pas?

Unfortunately the other 05 fragrances from O Boticário - Lily Essence & Floratta in Rose Belle; Água de Cheiro Attractive; Mahogany's Angico Branco; and L'aqua di Fiori Evolution, will not be commented here in this blog because they are not worth my time and effort.

Chandler spent his, so here it goes:

O Boticário: Lily Essence & Floratta in Rose Belle - "By contrast, “Lilly Essence” and “Floratta in Rose belle” (2006 and 2011, O Boticário) are immediately identifiable contemporary masstige florals, a style that give you the idea of a flower while removing any trace of the complexity, depth, or roughness of real flowers. The masstige floral is, at best, pretty in the way that a girl with good, clean skin, a bright smile, and not too many thoughts cluttering up her head is pretty: You’d enjoy meeting her for cocktails, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to sit next to her for an entire dinner. On the other hand, sometimes a quiet feminine murmur can be just the right thing, and “Lilly Essence” murmurs very nicely".

Água de Cheiro:Attractive - “Attractive” is an interesting minimalist neo-powder, post-modern in its rejection of everything that traditionally reads “perfume” – no flowers, no berries, nothing you can identify—and its embrace of an interesting synthetic gauze, like milk spun into rayon fibers".

L'aqua di Fiori:Evolution - "Both these perfumes speak to their customers. “Evolution” is a citrus version of “Lilly Essence,” and it does its job competently, fresh with enough weight to anchor it to skin. L’Acqua di Fiori is, very clearly, aiming at giving its women clients the perfume men will want to hang out with after both the cocktails and the dinner are over".

Obs.:

* included by me

These are only parts of Chandler Burr's reviews - if you wish to read the article in Portuguese, please contact the Publisher's at 00 55 11 33922584 or www.cosmeticanews.com.br

My comments about Mr. Chandler's reviews are my very own opinion and my very own understanding of what he meant to say. It is not necessarily what he in fact meant. If you wish to have your own "interpretation" of his words, enter to his website and check how to contact him.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

As we entered the Spring in Brazil, global warming has already pulled a few tricks and turned the season of flower blooming and bird singing into a gray Autumn. I have seen people saying that global warming does not exist, so how do they explain that in the beginning of October it feels like winter-autumn seasons?? Instead of walking hand in hand in the park, having picnics, or even wearing flowery dresses and Hawaiannas, we are confined at home, under the covers, with hot tea cups in one hand, popcorn in the bowl watching old cult black and white movies, and wondering when this rain is going to stop.

I have already posted articles about fragrances for rainy days or for moody ones (click HERE, HERE, HERE), so this year I decided to make something completely different. In fact, I am doing something never done before here or by anybody!

Inspired by fabrics that we wear during the winter and autumn, I decided to bring some of the fragrances that are bringing the same sense of comfort, of touch these fabrics bring to our skin. Fabrics that feels warm, cozy or even sexy to wear in days like these ones. Liquid "fabrics" per say.

CASHMERE

aaahhh, the softness of a cashmere wool...warming the skin, fitting like glove...so elegant and yet so simple. Cashmere cardigans, cashmere socks. Have you ever went to sleep wearing cashmere socks? Heavenly!

Cashmere wool is taken from the neck of Cashmere and other goats. My favorite cashmeres are from Scottish brand Ballentyne. There is no cashmere that lasts more than theirs. If you wonder where you have seen one...James Bond Pierce B. in Die Another Day wears a gray turtle neck Ballentyne pullover.

Photo credit: Rafael Astorga

Argyle cashmere cardigans are my favorite. Classy, dorky but with the right shirt and pants can be sooo sexy. In this photo it is super chic and very urban.

Slightly sensual, dark and rich in texture, Donna Karan wanted to capture the feeling of wearing a black cashmere. "Woven" by Rodrigo Flores Roux in 2003 this incensed fragrance has notes of saffron, Massala spices, cloves, nutmeg, Crimson Red Marechal roses, Ethiopian Guggal incense, Pimento berries, white pepper Co2 extract, Mediterranean broom flower, patchouli Singapour, Bois de Miel and Wenge - a type of wood found in Africa. Very urban, very stylish, with a smoky-spicy touch, it is a fragrance that makes one feel like going for the quest of the perfect Bond, or the perfect sleek pair of slacks...

VELVET

Photo credit: Vogue Magazine

Velvet has a very distinctive touch. It feels like silky tapestry. Silk velvet is shinier and softer to the touch than the other types of velvet. It feels very sexy to wear. The body "slides" in it. I think of velvet gloves - very kinky depending on the outfit and make up, or very very elegant. Corduroy is a rigged form of velvet and it is perfect for colder days. It was very common during the 70's, but I still love corduroy - the large tufted cord one.

TIARE EDP BY ORMONDE JAYNE

Thinking of velvets, specially the most elegant type, the silky one, I have only one vision in my mind - Tiare EDP by Ormonde Jayne. Every time I wear I think of Eva Green wearing some amazing black velvet dress, or Halle Berry in the amazing Vogue editorial where she had that Charleston haircut.

Since I have already made a long detailed review of Tiare, I will link it HERE for you. I think what makes this liquid fabric a velvet is the combination of orris and patchouli, Tiare and musk - some of the notes of this amazing chypre-floral perfume. Tiare EDP is sultry, and it has this sparkling appeal that silky velvets have when they shine.

LEATHER

Photo credit: Style.com

Gucci Fall 2011

Leather is one of the most powerful statements in fashion. It comes mostly from tanning process of cattle skin, but this fall python and exotic leather are the hit. It can be luxurious, fetich, sporty, rock and roller, very practical, very complexed. Easy to wear, it keeps us perfectly warm. I love the ultra used black jacket, but today as you can see leather in the Gucci Collection being explored in many other ways, such as in vibrant colors and exquisite textures. Leather boots... perfect for autumn and winter, but if you are under the equator like me- careful with raining days such as these we are facing. They are the biggest enemies of your fancy leather boots. My latest purchase was an amazing black leather purse by Marc Jacobs - if I could I would even take it to bed! I am in luve!

OUD EDP BY MONA DI ORIO

Leather was immensely explored by me in a serious of articles. Many fragrances were listed and described (click HERE to remember them and to get the links to all the listings). I have reviewed most of my favorites, but Mona di Orio's OUD was not included because it is an oud fragrance, AND it was only launched later this year. Fact is, although it is one of the many recent oud fragrances launched in the niche market, again Mona succeeded to surprise me: it is powdery and leathery and absolutely luxurious!

The notes of the fragrance are: Elemi Philippines, Calabrian green mandarines, Paraguayan petitgrain, Indonesian patchouli, Chinese osmanthus absolute, nargarmotha from India, cedarwood Atlas, Laos oudh, musk and ambergris. I will review it as an OUD fragrance in another oportunity. Right now I wish to include the leathery facet of this perfume. It is animalic, sensual and very delicate. Powerful, but delicate. So it is not the leather from rock and roll or biker's jacket. It is not the leather of boots and acessories. Mona's OUD is constructed with exceptional quality materials that can be translated here in this list, as the fine leather that you will only see in haute couture, such as slink or chamois. You will also feel the rubbery note of the cedarwood and here, it brings you a warm sensation of being inside the house in a cold day. The woody notes and the smoked rubber-ness of this fragrance bring up you instantly indoors, to the fireplace. Musks and ambergris will add the final animal, feline roaring to your coziness.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Henriette Gabilla is said to be the first female perfumer in the History of Perfumery. Syrian by birth, she arrived in France in the beginning of the 20th century to open a fragrance house. She had started to create perfumes in 1890 but founded her fragrance house only in 1910 at 6, rue Edouard VII in Paris.

Inspired by François Coty, she has launched 86 six different perfumes in 12 years. Her first creation was called "Mon Chérie". She became very famous between wars and she sold her products world-wide.

Her early creations were presented in Baccarat crystal bottles, such as for La Vièrge Folle launched in 1911, Moda launched in 1918, Gardenia launched in 1923, Mon Talisma launched in 1925 and Tango launched in 1927.

Lalique has also created perfume bottles for the brand - Violette and Xantho were launched in 1925; Tout Les Fleurs. Lilas, Chinli and Glycine all launched in 1926.

She launched Folli Follie in 1912, and the World War I commemorative fragrances launched in 1919 were called Minuites Breves, Minuites Chevres and Minuites Revées.

Gaby was launched a year later (and bought by fragrance house Lubin) and Gaby Desiys in 1924. Her perfume Intrigue was launched in 1938 together with a special set presenting 03 fragrances: La Vièrge Folle, Gardenia and Longchamps.

Some Gabilla perfume bottles...

Xantho - 1925

La Vièrge Folle - 1911

What is curious to observe is that although Gabilla had a brand name, she did not have a logo. The name Gabilla was written in many types of fonts, depending on the year and the style that was in fashion.

If you think launching many fragrances, one after the other is a movement of our modern perfumery, you haven't heard of the amazing Gabilla! The difference was that in her times, fragrances had quality and style, and they came in exclusive artistic bottles signed by famous glass and crystal manufactures...

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Thomas Carlyle Ford is a 50 years old fashion designer with a long resume. From Gucci, to Yves Saint Laurent, in 2007 he opened the doors of his own brand and flagship store in New York City - The Tom Ford store with menswear and accessories. He has his name in eye wear, in partnership with Marcolin Group and also made a very bright move to form an alliance with Esteé Lauder to create the Tom Ford Beauty brand.

A natural provocateur, the fashion designer once gave to Details Magazine a list of his 10 rules of style (I think it was in 2008) Topic number 10 was pretty surprising to me as something to consider "style":

"There’s one indulgence every man should try in his lifetime: If you’re straight, sleep with a man at least once, and if you’re gay, don’t go through life without sleeping with a woman. Either way, you might be surprised at how natural it will feel if you can get past the mind-fuck of stereotypes. In the end, it’s just another person that you are relating to in a physical way."

So this is Mr. Ford's idea of style is "Have gay sex because it is natural". I thought this was a sexual preference...

That said, one cannot be shocked if he has decided to bring to his beauty brand the same attitude he has towards life - dress elegantly, choose classy styled clothes, have taste and refined grace while choosing your clothes and shoes, but please leave the elegance to the wardrobe only! Live a mundane life and overload yourself with filthy low level attitude. Show pubic hair, show your dick to whoever is desiring to suck it...show your hairy chest and the golden bracelet and rings. Look like a pimp in a 50,000 dollar jacket kind of attitude. Be disgusting if you dare - that brings a lot of attention too.

In a few words, Tom Ford is not hip nor controvertial. He is simply VULGAR!!

His fragrance advertisings are exactly Mr. Ford's expression of his vulgarity. His obsession for anal sex had gone beyond the limits, when he had the most disgusting idea of shoving a perfume bottle in the hairy ass of some guy that he was probably fucking behind the back of his partner. Fact is, this blogger has nothing against gay sex, gay relationships, heterosexual anal sex (if this is an option that you chose for yourself), but I think that relating asses to fragrances is simply idiotic, and a huge lack of taste.

The last Tom Ford advertising campaign featured in Russian GQ shows Mr. Ford smelling strips taken from the anus of a female model.

I don't know what you think about it. Funny, a joke, another controversy?

I wonder if he will make his next prostate exam available to the public in youtube...Yeah... just imagine Mr. Ford taking a whiff of Tom Ford for Men EXTREME, while the camera gives a huge close up in his anus being analyzed by the fingers of his doctor (or the entire hand - depending on the size and flexibility of TF's asshole)...than he goes "Tom Ford for Men Extreme...because your prostate will thank you in the future!"

We all know that perfumery uses raw materials that are coming from places that seem to be rather weird to the general public, like the perineal glands of the civet for example, or extracted from the secretion of the prepuce glands of male beavers. Fecal notes are used in perfumery indeed, no doubt about it, no one is denying here...but to go from scents, to showing the anus...

I will not review the fragrances of his collection today, nor will I extend myself in this subject. But I do have a message to Mr. Ford:

Why don't you just go stick it up your ass in your own time and privacy sir?

You are a middle age man now, not some hottie from Studio 54 in the 70's..you should have know better no?

Fiori D'Ulivo EDP is one of six the fragrances of the Casamorati 1888 collection, inspired by the ancient art of Italian perfumery of the 18th and 19th centuries.There is a touch of Art Nouveau in the fragrance labels and the packaging is absolutely vintage.

The olive tree is one of the most sacred trees of mankind's history. It is the symbol of peace, abundance, glory, wisdom, fertility, power and pureness. Typical from the Mediterranean region, some trees found in the Middle East are dated from biblical times, such as the ones blooming in the Galilee and in Jerusalem (dated of 3,000 to 4,000 yrs old), but olive trees have been cultivated by mankind for 8,000 years. The tiny, creamy white, fragrant olive flowers usually bloom from mid spring to summer. In Israel it starts sometime around mid April and May, when my child was born. I still recall bringing him back home from the hospital. That tiny little blond baby sleeping in my arms, and the scent captured in the most glorious day of my life, from the fragrant olive blooms coming from the Carmel Mountain all the way back to our house. If you ask what is the scent of an olive tree, I will describe it like that: it smells just like the how the flowers and the leafs look like - creamy, green-y and silvery. It is one of my favorite scents, and once I was talking to another perfume blogger about how I would make my own signature fragrance... and I recall saying it had to have olive oil scent or olive tree flower bloom scent in it, with iris of course... Well here I am, two years later, opening a vial of Xerjoff's Fiori D'Olivo and my heart is simply full of those beautiful memories of the Spring back home. This flowery perfume is simply the smell of Israel, Italy, France and Greece all together, bottled to make one dream on daily basis. It is a liquid trip to the Galilee, to Tuscany, to Grasse and Crete. It is heavenly!!!

The white flowers are simply delicate and well blended. It is hard to unfurl each and every flower alone, you have to experience Fiori as it is presented to you - a beautiful spring-y bouquet. The apple scent brings a freshness that is at the same time, juicy and dry. It is not mentioned by the brand but I did find it, as I also found the amazing touch of acacia nectars.

This perfume will definitely make any woman look fabulously feminine with a Mediterranean allure.

XERJOFF is a luxurious Italian niche brand owned by Sergio Momo, that has been around since 2004 but only now it has been really drawing bloggers' and perfume passionates' attention. Controvertial comments due to the astronomic prices of the fragrances (Sergio himself is very fond of Astronomy); truth is, the brand offers amazing fragrances in amazing artistic bottles. What caught MY attention to the brand was the fact that I have been reviewing many niche brands over the years, but this is really the first time that I find a brand that has really captured the artistic skills of the craftsmanship of the early ages of perfumery, when perfumers did sell fragrances as art in liquid form in amazing unique bottles. Times when each fragrance launch was an event to last more than a year. XERJOFF's perfume bottles are indeed small luxurious sculptures crafted to last forever, and in my opinion, the concern about the presentation of the fragrances, the use of unique high quality raw materials makes XERJOFF one of the new standards to international niche perfumery. The brand offers many collection but today I will cover the Shooting Stars Perfume Collection. It offers 10 fragrances: Shingl, Modoc, Uden, Dhofar, Oroville, Oesel, Kobe, Nio, Lua and Ibitira, and I picked the aromatic floral SHINGL to start unfolding XERJOFF's celestial mysteries.Shooting Stars was a collection inspired by the love Sergio Momo has for Astronomy, more specifically, to an even in 1947 when a fireball seared the sky of eastern Siberia and rained 70 tons of iron meteorites onto the landscape. Shingl is one of the 02 florals of the collection (the other one is a woody-floral called Oesel), with notes of bergamot, basil, anise, vetiver, patchouli, Florentine iris, amber, rum absolute, vanilla and musk. So if a fireball rained meteorites in Siberia - I am sure they have released a fragrant strawberry red cloud of SHINGL!

Described by the brand's catalogue as "evocative of a stylish garden party on a hot day in Tuscany", or "a lively yet sophisticated scent" and a "cocktail of playful sensuality" in the e-boutique page ...Sergio needs to reconsider hiring someone else to describe his fragrances (nothing personal Sergio...but one must say what one thinks, at least here I can). I see no Tuscany here, sparkling cocktails...playful - cocktails YES, sparkling - ??Stylish garden? HUH?

The vision in my mind is lollipop. A giant strawberry lollipop, just like the one I have seen in 1889 Moulin Rouge by HdP when I first sprayed the fragrance on my arm, but this time less powdery, less furry-meaow...more aromatic and a rather alcoholic one to tell the truth! Si signores, the pink ladies of Italy like to start their charming daily routine with a glass of fruity Caribbean treats...

SHINGL is a strawberry cocktail to savor drop by drop. A cocktail of felicitá, of joie de vivre with a kinky naughtiness to it. That said, it is exquisite and creative. The woody- earthy trails of vetiver and orris give the lightheaded effect some grounding - one toe on the ground, or a shoulder of a classy gentleman to hold the drunk pink lady when her Louboutins are zigzagging.One can get very addicted to this fragrance, and if I had to choose between Moulin Rouge and Shingl, I would prefer Sergio's lollipop. It is more refined, more classy than HdP's. (Do notice that this is a major thing for me to say due to the fact that I am HDP most fervor's fan!)If price is a matter to you - Moulin Rouge has a more attractive price. But do remember - they are not identical, and each one has its own uniqueness! Don't get me wrong here!!!All I am saying is that both brought me the same image to my mind - the giant powdery strawberry lollipop.

And here goes a Lollipop by The Chordettes video - click HERE - to get you a joyfull swing today!!!

About the Author

Simone Shitrit is a Sao Paulo-based olfactive designer, author & editor for +Q Perfume Blog, +Q Perfume Trends & Blends Blog. She was for more than 2 years exclusive fragrance contributor for the Brazilian Beauty site Cristiana Arcangeli (The iconic entrepreneur and reference to the Brazilian Cosmetic & Perfumery Industry), fragrance evaluator and free lancer writer for the Brazilian Beauty & Cosmetics magazine Atualidade Cosmética. Exclusive Fragrance Consultant for one of the largest Brazilian news Broadcasters - BandNews. She also gives lectures and promotes events about perfumery and for perfume brands.

As a Fragrance expert and consultant always cutting edge, she was the first and only perfume blogger to be a juror of the Brazilian Perfumery & Cosmetics Awards - Atualidade Cosmética; consultant for big fashion magazines such as Marie Claire and House and Garden in Brazil; freelancer evaluator for Fragrance Houses in Brazil; and is always invited to be present in fashion, design, gourmet and perfumery events.

With a background in International Trading, Business Administration and International Marketing and Corporate Law, she has been working with multinational companies and governmental organizations. Today she is the senior marketing manager for Orphek Led Lighting Solutions.

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